A Toiling Darkness

by Jaliza Burwell

  “What?” Kalen asked, not taking his eyes off the human.

  “He made a deal with a demon.” The pressure was building up as I prevented access to the little hounds. “And now the demon is collecting.”

  The man stared at me and probably saw some kind of possibility. “You can do it. You can protect me.” He fell to his knees and crawled towards me, begging. Pathetic.

  I snarled in disgust at his attitude. “You made the deal, now it’s time to pay them back.”

  The man shook his head. “Devon could have protected me, why did you kill him? He could have protected me. You owe it to me to protect me now.”

  My anger flared at the man’s audacity. “Who the fuck do you think you are, human? Telling me that I owe you.” I snorted. “I owe you nothing. You’ve done nothing to give you the right to demand for my protection.” I stepped towards him, my power whipping out at him. He cowered on the floor with his arms over his head.

  “Please, please. Please don’t let them take me.”

  “Why did you even do it?” I asked. “For money? Fame? Sex? What got you to give up your soul?”

  The man looked up at me, probably hoping for hope. Something I just couldn’t give him. They wanted him and I wasn’t going to put myself through unnecessary pain because of some scum.

  “To save my business. I was going bankrupt, hundreds of people were going to lose their job. I wanted to save them.”

  I felt the lie press up against me, hoping for acceptance. I shook my head and growled. The noise in my throat was unnatural, nearly beastly.

  “What the hell is going on?” Kalen asked, standing in front of the children now and looked back and forth at us.

  “This human sold his soul for money. Now he wants to go back on his word.” I laughed, the sound angry and disgusted. I stared at him, unblinking and he paled even more when he realized he wasn’t getting any help from me. They were coming. Soon they were going to break through my shadows. “Humans always do that. They promise something and the moment it doesn’t benefit them anymore, they go back on their word. Try to find ways to save themselves. No matter the cost to those around them.”

  “And you think you’re any different?” the human said. The man had a backbone now. Of course his bravery was only made out of desperation and fear. “You think you’re better than everyone and so you just push us around to do your bidding, using us only when we suite your needs and then toss us away.”

  I laughed again. “Says the man who tried to use a loc to back out of a deal he, himself, made.”

  “You can stop them!” he screamed in desperation, spittle spraying out of his mouth. “Your capable of helping me.”

  Why won’t you help me? You can. You know you can, and it won’t cost you anything. Just help me with this.

  “I probably could,” I agreed with him “But I won’t. Not for you.”

  He screamed wordlessly and in that moment they broke through, bursting out of my shadows in a fit of hunger and excitement.

  The creatures were long and sleek. Their heads were black and as you looked down their body, it lighted up to grey, to silver, then to white, and finally near the end of their tail, lucent.

  “Bloodhounds,” I whispered, in awe. Always in awe with those majestic creatures. To think hell had something so beautiful.

  I knew they used shadows to move about, and they have even used the ones in my immediate control quite a few times. But still. Every time I saw them, I was awestruck. They are one of the most beautiful creatures in existence. The creature was a little over seven feet long and about three feet tall. The tail itself was about three feet long with a fan at the end. There was a fin along its back, the ends sharp enough to cut off a limb or two. I’ve seen it happen.

  The man screamed and tried to scramble away but the bloodhound latched on and began dragging him back to the same shadow it came out of.

  “What—?” Kalen moved to help the human. I moved just as fast to stop him. He had a clear path to the man and then I was just there, in front of him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pushed. Kalen stopped trying to plow through me and instead tried to get me off him.

  “If you interfere, you’ll only be in the same situation as him, probably worse,” I said.

  “We can’t just let it take him.”

  “Yes, we can. He made the deal himself, knowing exactly what that meant. This is their payment.”

  “This is murder.” He tried to get me off him, but I held on tight.

  “No, this is a deal in our world.”

  “How could he know this would happen?” He tried again to pry me off. I only crawled up and wrapped my legs around his knees. We probably really did look like a child trying to play with her father. It was definitely a ridiculous sight to see. I was using his caring nature against him. He wouldn’t move if he thought it would hurt me.

  “It would have been written out for him, and they even tell him. They don’t trick him. Besides summoning a demon for a deal isn’t as easy as you think. He knew what he was getting himself into. It isn’t like he just stumbled across some fucking demon.”

  The man was screaming now, barely louder than the children who were crying again. The bloodhound dragged him into the shadow. The man scratched at the floor, breaking his nails, and calling for help. Kalen wanted to give him that help. I felt the bloodhound as it moved through my shadow with the human. I shivered and watched as the man disappeared into a black endless pit. Then it was over.

  Kalen glared at me until I let him go. He stalked over to the kids. The closer he got, the more the tension and anger became well masked. By the time he reached them and began comforting them, he seemed more like an older cousin than a seething man. He hid himself very well.

  “I’ll call Kay and tell him to clean up this mess. Calm them down and I’ll have a cab sent here.”

  “Fine.” He ignored me.

  “Fine,” I replied and slipped out of the room. They wouldn’t calm down until I left the room anyways.

  When Darkness left the room, somehow I felt like she needed someone to hold onto. Someone to comfort her. I wanted to offer it, but the kids needed me. They looked so sick. They were all underfed, dirty, and scared shitless.

  So I stayed behind.

  My chest tightened again. It always tightened when I was near her. Something about her called to me. I just couldn’t decide if it was something good or bad. Sometimes I got the urge to hurt her, and other times, I just want to keep her safe. Away from all the horrors around us.

  Then I remember she’s already seen two hundred years worth of horror. She wasn’t a kid. She only looked like one.

  I turned to the four remaining kids and gave them a solemn smile.

  “It’s okay. We are going to get you out of here.”

  The kids looked at me with very little hope. As if my words meant nothing to them…or they just didn’t want to believe in them. Some of the children were only a shell, but hopefully, with help, they could be children again.

  Not likely. This was their initiation into adulthood. And they were still so young. They didn’t need to be adults.

  The irony wasn’t lost on me. Darkness was an adult. And yet she was a child.

  And now these children were getting that very same look that sometimes creeps into Darkness’s expression. That look that told everyone that she has seen some nasty shit throughout her life. It made me wonder what fazed her. What would have to happen to get a real reaction out of Darkness? I shook my head, trying to shift my thoughts from her to the children instead.

  I kept my eyes on them, trying to not draw any attention to the dead bodies in the room. I grabbed a couple of hands. They were so cold and small.

  “How about we go into a different room?”

  They looked up at me and slowly a couple of them nodded. One of the little girls simply stared blankly, completely lost within herself. I ushered them out of the room as carefully as I could.

  They were only childre
n.

  Chapter 21:

  I stepped outside and took in a couple of deep breaths. Kay was going to be pissed with what I was about to do. It was only possible because we were so interlocked with each other. We shared hundreds of years of experience together.

  I closed my eyes and focused on the darkness around me. When I connected to it the way I wanted, I used it to find Kay. It took some prodding and pushing, but eventually my darkness locked onto him. I used it to reach out to him, feel his awareness of me. He knew what was about to happen and he was not a happy camper. Ha-ha, camper. After technology grew, he would never be caught camping. He stayed far away from nature now.

  When I touched him, he tried to fight. I ignored his wishes, pushed myself a little further, and took him. Pain flashed through my body. The little trick only cost me a little piece of myself. A piece that will heal back eventually.

  In moments Kay was in front of me, his face twisted with rage.

  “Hell hounds, Darkness? Don’t you know how to pick up a damn phone by now.”

  “Hello to you too.” I rolled my eyes. He knows technology and me don’t get a long.

  “You promised you would never do that!”

  “Yeah, but I added a stipulation of being allowed to do it if it’s an emergency. Well, it’s an emergency.”

  He looked around, quickly getting his bearings. “No one’s dying. You’re still standing and there aren’t any dead bodies. What kind of emergency? It better not be something stupid like the last time. I swear domestic chores are not considered an emergency.”

  “If only it was that simple,” I grumbled. “I’ve got some dead bodies you should clean up.”

  “I told you, I’m not into domestic chores. It’s your mess, you clean it up.”

  “It’s your fucking loc! Stop acting like an asshat and take responsibility.”

  Kay’s mouth snapped shut at my outburst. I was tired and annoyed. Why was I annoyed? I shook my head and glared at Kay. I can analyze my emotions later. Always later.

  “Devon was sacrificing children to summon a demon. He used a human to kidnap them,” I expanded. “He was your lackey. Clean it up.”

  Kay’s eyes fogged up a little as he worked out what was going on.

  “How did you get involved with Devon?”

  “The slauve found him,” I shrugged. “I just tagged along.”

  His eyes narrowed on me, focusing on the first part of my answer. “The slauve? Why are you with him?” he seethed, in a low whisper. “He wants you dead.”

  “You’re right, he doesn’t know it’s me. Besides, I figured if I keep him close, then maybe I can find his master.”

  “You should just kill him.”

  It was my turn to get furious. “No!”

  “No?”

  “No.”

  “He’s going to kill you.”

  “And I don’t care. I refuse to kill him.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s the only one who knows the one who wants me dead. I need him alive.”

  “Don’t bullshit with me. That may have been the original plan, but you wouldn’t be just tagging along if it were. Why?”

  I sighed and looked down.

  “Darkness,” he warned.

  “Because somehow, I care. Okay. I can’t kill him.”

  We fell into an awkward silence as Kay took in my admission. Finally, some of his anger dissipated and he started gathering magic around him.

  “Fine, whatever. Just don’t get killed.”

  “I’ll be fine as long as I stay in this form.”

  “One can only hope it'll be that easy,” he muttered. We walked into the building and back into the room. The children weren’t there, neither was Kalen. Probably for the best.

  Kay pulled out a light blue chalk from his pocket and then quickly took in the scene. He didn’t linger long on the dead children. He could care less about them. He did linger as he stared at his lackey, his face unresponsive.

  “What did you do to him?” he asked.

  “Drowned him.”

  He stared at the body for another beat, and then nodded.

  “Well then, lets get to work.”

  He had me move all the bodies into the middle of the room as he cleaned up all the markings that made up the summoning circle.

  “Bastard really knew his shit,” he grumbled.

  “It would have worked, too.”

  If I weren’t so focused on Kay, I wouldn’t have notice the shiver that crawled along his body. This was bothering him more than he was letting on.

  “A real good chance it would have. There’s only four bodies. I’m sure there should be more.”

  “Kalen probably took them into another room to help calm them. Four more are still alive.”

  He nodded. “I’ll suppress their memories.”

  “Thanks.”

  He snorted. “As if you really mean that.”

  I looked down, feeling slightly embarrassed. “No, I could care less. But Kalen will be thankful.”

  “Then he can express it. You don’t need to.”

  I shrugged and watched as he started to draw his own circle.

  I stepped outside the circle and watched as he gathered more magic, his lips moving soundlessly as he mouthed a chant. The circle lit up, created a barrier between us and the bodies. Slowly the bodies disintegrated.

  First they lost all their fluids, turning into wrinkled husks. Then they flattened as their bones became dust and only skin was left. After a few more moments, their skin and clothes turned to dust too. It all happened in minutes.

  “Still have your touch, I see,” I remarked.

  Kay sighed and released his circle. All that was left was a pile of dust, making the room look like it simply hasn’t been cleaned in a very long time. It was going to match with the rest of the house.

  “Now to go check on the children,” he said as he turned. I followed behind. We checked a couple of rooms until we found them in what looked like a master bedroom. They were still huddling together.

  When we came in, Kalen was up on his feet, ready to protect them against anything.

  “You!” He was ready to charge at Kay, probably recognizing him from when he attacked me at Kay’s office.

  “Kalen,” I said, stepping in front of Kay, acting like a bodyguard.

  “Darkness, do you know who he is?”

  “I do. Everyone worth anything knows who he is. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “He knows Akhlys!”

  “He knows everyone,” I snapped back. “My patience is at its max right now, so back off. If you’re going to live in this world, then you need to realize that there are those you simply cannot attack just for knowing someone. I’m sure there are a lot of people who know Akhlys. Are you simply going to kill them all for it?”

  Kalen’s clenched jaw, unclenched. “Do you know Akhlys?”

  I stared at him for a moment, thinking of the question. “I do. Everyone knows Akhlys.”

  “And yet no one knows where she is.”

  “Akhlys has been off the map for nearly two hundred years,” Kay spoke up, not looking at me.

  “And yet she was with you,” Kalen growled.

  “And now she isn’t.”

  “Where is she?”

  “Probably where she wants to be most. Why’s it so important to you? Are you planning to kill her, slauve?”

  “What I do with her is none of your concern.”

  “It became my concern when you attacked my establishment, killed two of my guards and severely injured another three of my employees.”

  Kalen backed down at that. I could see it in his expression. Regret. He felt bad for doing what he was created for doing.

  “I apologize.”

  “I don’t want it. I’m simply here now because Darkness called me and she asked me to help her. She never does that, so I’m inclined to do it. That means I need you to move so I can see the children.”

  “No.” Kalen didn’
t even think about it. So damn protective.

  “Kalen,” I warned.

  “I don’t know what he’s going to do to them. They are already scarred.”

  “He’s simply going to suppress their memories.”

  He frowned. “He can do it.”

  “He can and he will. He owes me. He’ll suppress their memories and send them off to the police station. They’ll help them from there.”

  Kalen looked between Kay and me, then at the children. He was so conflicted. Finally he nodded and stepped to the side.

  Kay approached the kids slowly, his expression soft so as to not scare them anymore. I guess he could be courteous when he wanted to be. When he was less than a foot away, he knelt down with a solemn smile. Expressive in everything he was doing, though I knew it all to be an act. Kay was the actor I’ll never come close to being, and I thought myself to be pretty decent; pretending to be a child and all that.

  He spoke in a low murmur and slowly the children stopped shivering, and then their bodies went completely relaxed. Their expressions grew blank, their lips slack, eyes big and unseeing.

  Chapter 22:

  We watched as the kids drove off inside the taxi. Kay was quick to disappear after he finished up, so it was just Kalen and me left behind. Kalen stayed quiet, not saying anything. I couldn’t figure out what he was thinking about and it worried me. Did I finally convince him that I was one of the monsters he hated?

  Eventually he turned to me, his face carefully constructed to show nothing. “Why did you just let that thing take him?”

  “I told you, he made a deal. He has to hold his end of the bargain.” I stayed cautious, unsure of how he was going to react. I may have finally did something he could not accept—I allowed a human to suffer. Oh, the alleyway when I first met him was similar, but not quite as bad. But tonight? That man begged me to save him. I just wouldn’t. He wasn’t worth the trouble. Now, if only Kalen would accept my decision.

  “Could you have saved him?”

  I shrugged. “Probably. It’s more of a hassle in doing it though, and when, not if, but when they do get him, his fate would be a hell of a lot worse.”